


A Dream Come True

by heartlessbcf



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, 進撃の巨人 | Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Reality, Alternate Universe, Canon but not really, Manga & Anime, Manga Spoilers, Modern Day, Modern Era, Multi, Reader-Insert, Timeskip, World Travel, alternate outcome, alternate setting, change of events, different outcome, inter-dimension, loosely based on canon, no seriously her self restraint is amazing, not really romance but we'll see, reader - Freeform, reader is a little thirsty but she's gotta stay focused, reality shifting, shifting, universe shifting, with a little spice :), world transportation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-12
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-16 17:46:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 14
Words: 20,489
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28710684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heartlessbcf/pseuds/heartlessbcf
Summary: You are a normal college student who just wants to hurry up and graduate already. In order to keep your sanity amidst the pandemic, you immerse yourself in your hobbies.One of those hobbies being an avid Attack on Titan fan. You binge-watch the episodes and catch up on the manga.All you do is wake up, attend online classes, write notes, and surf the internet. Each day feels bleak and repetitive. That is- until you find yourself in a huge mess....Who would have known you would be transported to the world where your beloved characters reside in? To them, are you friend or foe?
Relationships: Annie Leonhart/Reader, Armin Arlert/Reader, Connie Springer/Reader, Eren Yeager/Reader, Everyone & Reader, Hange Zoë/Reader, Jean Kirstein/Reader, Levi Ackerman/Reader, Mikasa Ackerman/Reader, Pieck Finger/Reader, Porco Galliard/Reader, Reader/Everyone, Reiner Braun/Reader, Sasha Blouse/Reader, attack on titan/reader
Comments: 147
Kudos: 651





	1. A Normal Day

**Author's Note:**

> hi hi hello this is the first time i've written fanfiction in like 10 years so please bear with me <33
> 
> ALSO there are some spoilers so be weary if you aren't up to date with the manga c:
> 
> hope you enjoy !!

You woke up with a jolt. Beads of sweat littered your forehead as you looked around your surroundings. It was still dark out, but your heart beat louder and louder. Your arm snaked onto the bedside table and checked your phone. The light made you wince for a moment before you stared at the time. 5 AM. Oh thank goodness. You still had at least 2 hours of sleep. A lazy smile crept its way onto your face before you chucked your poor phone somewhere on your bed and you fell back into sleep.

* * *

When you finally woke up, a few beams of sunlight peeked through the windows. Your pets immediately stirred when your alarm for 7:30 AM. You groped around your bed trying to find your phone. Your foot touched something cool and you sat up. Your phone was next to your foot. Huh, maybe you really a restless sleeper.

You rubbed your eyes and stifled a yawn. A staring battle ensued with your pets as you tried to tiptoe out of bed. Alas, the moment your feet touched the ground, your pets shrieked.

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll feed you. Jeez, maybe learn to be a little patient.” You rolled your eyes and got up to feed your pets. Once everything was settled you decided to shuffle over to your bathroom to wash your face. A few pimples lingered, but you shrugged. It’s not like anyone would see you anyway with the pandemic going on. After washing your face, you brushed your teeth. No one wanted to smell your morning breath. Not even you.

Still feeling groggy, you basically dragged yourself to the kitchen. You decided to brew some coffee and make some oatmeal. Nothing too fancy. You didn’t have the funds for that. At least not yet. College bombarded with you with too much work to do but you’d decided early on that once you graduate, you’d finally make a name for yourself and earn that sweet, sweet cash. That way you wouldn’t have to rely so much on your parents.

You checked your phone for the time. It was 7:58 now. Dang. Your class started at 8. You begrudgingly made your way to your desk with your coffee and oatmeal and sat yourself down.

_'Ugh, I can’t wait for my classes to be done.’_

* * *

It was now 3 PM and you were done for the day. Attending Zoom meetings was such a hassle, especially since you didn’t have the best internet. Your stomach grumbled and you made your way back to the kitchen to grab some food. You shuffled around the cupboards and found some bread and a random spread. You covered the bread with spread and bit into it.

“I’m… so bored. Oh wait. Doesn’t the new chapter of AOT come out today?” You ran to your laptop and quickly searched up a site that posted manga chapters. There it was. Chapter 136. Beautiful. You sighed mischievously before beginning to read.

* * *

After you read it, you had to prevent yourself from punching the screen. “Wha- that was- it felt so short…” You grumbled to yourself. You had waited a month to know more and although in truth, the new chapter was well appreciated, each new update felt dreadful since your favorite manga and anime was going to end soon. You smiled wistfully and decided to open another tab. ‘ _I’m just gonna read a few fanfictions, then I’ll study. I promise.’_

That didn’t work out, obviously. You spent the whole day perusing fan blogs reading about theories on how the story would end. It was 10 PM now. Oops. Guess that’s what you get for being such a weeb.

It felt like the only thing that really occupied your time nowadays was anime. Talking with friends was fun, but it wasn’t like you could openly fangirl with them. They were into other things. Scoffing to yourself for your silly thoughts, you got up off your desk chair.

A sudden pain sprang up in your head. Woah. That was weird. Usually, you’d be alright even if you stared at a screen the whole day. You took a moment to steady yourself and decided to take a step. Wrong choice.

The moment you tried to put your foot down, you fell. And fell some more. What the heck? When were you going to collide with the floor? Your fall felt like an eternity until your back collided with the ground. That’s when the world went into darkness.

* * *

Your eyes opened slowly. ‘ _What type of dream was that… I just fucking fell through a hole. What even.’_ You tried to get up but found you were tied up. Your eyes widened and you looked at your surroundings. You weren’t in your room anymore. It looked like you were outside. You would have screamed but a gag was tied around your mouth. What kind of stupid idiot wouldn’t realize they were tied up? You, obviously. Wait, were you kidnapped?

Suddenly, you heard footsteps. You strained your neck so you could see the person clearly. A familiar figure hovered above you, with cold steel eyes of grey.

“Tell us who you are and why we found you in our room earlier.” The man glared at you and you had to check yourself before you lost your mind.

_'Oh, shit. It’s Levi Ackerman.’_


	2. Before Hell Breaks Loose Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you like this update! ill try to update daily but not sure if i can keep it up

“Captain, she can’t speak. She’s gagged.” you heard someone say. Levi inched closer to you and pondered for a moment before he sliced off the cloth covering your mouth. He cut a little too aggressively, as you now had a small cut on the side of your mouth. It stung a little. You could feel a trickle of blood dribbling down you chin.

_‘Wait, that was kind of hot…’_

Hold up. What the heck were you even thinking at a moment like this? You shook your head and gave a wary smile. “Sorry, Levi I-”

You couldn’t even finish your statement before Levi gripped your face with brutal force. He lifted you to your feet and furrowed his brows. “How the hell do you know my name?” he growled.

‘ _Oh no. Probably shouldn’t have let that slip,’_

Tears sprung out of the corners of your eyes. Damn, Levi was definitely strong. A small whimper escaped you and someone went up to Levi and grabbed his shoulder. He tsked and pushed you down to the ground with a thud. Your tailbone ached from the impact.

Your cheeks burned from his grip. Looking up, you could see that Hange was the one who approached Levi. Wait. Hange was still alive? If what you were thinking was correct, that should mean that the final arc hasn’t occurred yet.

Wriggling around, you tried to look at everyone around you. Suddenly, you felt the ropes around your wrists go limp. Mesmerizing green eyes that lost their luster stared at you. Eren? Wait, if he was still here with Levi and Hange, that would mean he didn’t go off on his own yet. They weren’t wearing their Scout uniforms, either. They were wearing clothes that looked like they were from around the early 1900s.

Were you in Marley? What was happening?

Before you could immerse yourself into your thoughts any longer, a soft nudge shifted you back to reality. You took that as your cue to start speaking.

“I’m uh.. I don’t know how I ended up in one of your rooms, I swear! Honestly, I don’t remember much of what’s happened to me. A-and the only reason I know your name is because I heard someone refer to you as Levi earlier!”

Your heart raced and sped up the longer Levi stared at you. Could he tell you were lying? It certainly didn’t help that Eren was right beside you. Two of your beloved characters were right next to you, but instead of what usually happens in fanfictions, they were cautious and ready to subdue you should you act any more suspicious.

Levi studied you. “What’s your name?”

“[First name] [Last name].”

“That isn’t a name common in these parts.” He furrowed his brows even more and got ready to strike.

“W-wait! Captain, let me handle this!” You caught sight of blond hair. Blond hair? Whipping your head around to the voice, you had to suppress your relief. You silently thanked your lucky stars. Hail Armin for saving your ass.

Levi stared at Armin for a brief moment before walking away with Hange. You could hear them whispering urgently. Most likely they were trying to figure out your motives. The others around you lingered for a little more before ultimately deciding it wasn’t worth it staying with a stranger. Eren’s eyes lingered on you even as he walked away.

One problem, though. You didn’t even have a motive to begin with. You didn’t even know how you could be transported to this world. This world wasn’t even real. It was just a story, for goodness’ sake!

Before you got too carried away, Armin squatted down next to you and patted a cloth on your wound gently.

You tried to smile but that just caused more blood to ooze out so you stopped. He was staring at your eyes, trying to examine you. After he finished cleaning up the blood on your mouth and chin, he offered a wry grin.

“Sorry about that, we were just shocked you popped up in our room at the middle of the night. We were afraid we’d get kicked out of the inn because of the commotion.”

You could tell he was purposely withholding information from you. Of course, they were undercover in Marley! Why didn’t it process in your mind earlier? You tried to wrack up what you knew from the anime and manga but the adrenaline coursing through your veins wouldn’t let you think clearly.

Instead, you opted to study Armin closely. His hair was shorter and he was more chiseled and mature-looking. It also looked like his body bulked up a tad bit more. He didn’t have the same hopeful looking eyes anymore. If you looked closely, you could tell he felt melancholic.

You assumed it was from his burden of having to be the Colossal Titan. A few more seconds passed by in silence until you realized that Armin was squirming slightly under your stare.

“Sorry, I… I’m just a little disoriented is all.” You carefully wrapped your arms around your body. Once you did, you realized you were practically naked in their eyes.

You were only wearing a thin tank top and some shorts. Although it felt nice, given the warm sun and the cool breeze, it felt so inappropriate in this situation. Clutching your body a little more in an attempt too be a little more decent, your thoughts started to drift again.

It felt too realistic to be a dream, and yet… you knew it wasn’t possible. This had to be a funny joke. Maybe you bumped your head when you fell and this is just a really weird coma. A coat was draped onto your shoulders, shielding you from any further embarrassment.

You mumbled a quick thanks to Armin and he awkwardly scratched his neck. You could tell he was choosing his next words carefully. Was he planning on playing his mind games with you? Good thing you knew how him pretty well as a character, otherwise you would be defenseless against any prior knowledge. The boy was a sweetheart but he could make one go crazy with only a few sentences.

“What’s your name?” you asked him sheepishly. A beat passed before he told you. Huh. He didn’t even bother giving you an alias. He probably trusted you. Just a little bit. Hopefully he did.

You said his name a few times, letting it roll off your tongue smoothly. You pretended you were memorizing it, but honestly you just wanted to anchor yourself to something other than your thoughts.

“Armin Arlert… I like it. Cute name.”

After you said that, Armin blushed slightly. See, now that was your plan. You knew from one of the earlier chapters in the manga that Keith Shadis, the head of the Training Corps made fun of his name before. You hoped to wriggle into Armin’s good side so you could prove you were harmless.

A few minutes passed by with you and Armin engaging in small talk. Things felt at ease. Well at least it was- until Armin decided it was time to confront you.

“I seriously have no recollection of coming into your room. I swear! You can tie me up and gag me again, I won’t move a muscle.” you glanced at his hands in case he was carrying a weapon with him.

You were defenseless against everyone here. They were all soldiers and you barely even exercised. Sweet, little Armin could kill you without even struggling.

He made no move but instead stared intently at you. He sighed. “Don’t lie, please. It will just end up hurting you.”

“I don’t get what you mean, Armin…” You were at a loss for words. Fuck, you thought you could escape his games. Your mind was absolutely terrifyingly blank.

“Last night, we were in our room sleeping and suddenly there was a blinding flash of light and a small explosion. When the light simmered down, you were lying down unconscious on the floor. I know what you are. You’re a titan shifter.”

A blinding light? Explosion? Was that how you ended up here? You were certain you weren’t a titan shifter. You were just a normal human, studying in a normal college, doing normal things. Not anymore, sadly.

‘ _I really, really need to find a way out of this nightmare.’_

“If you really think I am a titan shifter as you say, why haven’t you restrained me again? What even is a titan shifter?” you squeaked out. Why did you blurt that? Stop digging a deeper hole for yourself. That clearly was the wrong answer.

Armin furrowed his brows. He was sure everyone outside of Paradis knew of titan shifters. You not knowing about them made you even more of a threat. Would that mean that there were even more humans, even more civilizations? Impossible. Even the countries surrounding Marley were aware of titan shifters.

“What do you mean?” He turned to face you and inched closer, trying to gauge your reaction.

“I’m not from around here!”

“Then where are you from, really? Everyone knows what titans and titan shifters are!”

You took a few breaths before throwing all logic out the window.

“Would you believe me if I said I was from a different world? That you and your friends don’t actually exist? That this is just a dream of mine and that my fear is unreasonable since the moment I wake up, I’ll forget about anything that happened here? No, right? Ugh, just pinch me so I wake up.”

You didn’t actually expect him to pinch you. A yelp escaped your mouth and you furrowed your brows. Well, that certainly felt real. Then again, the cut on your lip still hurt as well.

Before Armin could reply, you shook your head. “I’ve lost my mind, apparently. I probably climbed through the window into your room in the middle of the night looking for shelter.”

Confused with your words and blatant lie, Armin just nodded slowly. Good job! He probably thought you were insane or something. You mentally cursed yourself for your rashness. Who knows when he’d trust you? If Armin couldn’t trust you, no one would. His hunches were always right.

He stood up slowly and offered you a hand. You accepted it and stood along with him while being careful that his coat wouldn’t slip off of you. He mumbled about needing to find you suitable clothing.

Armin led you to what seemed to be a tent. Tent? Didn’t they say they were in an inn? How much time has passed since you were unconscious? As if sensing your question, Armin informed you that it had been about a week since they discovered you.

How did they even manage to lug you around while not raising suspicion? Actually, scratch that. You didn’t even want to think about it. Thinking sort of hurt your head.

Wait. Tent… Tent… Oh shit. This is probably the day they go drinking and Eren asks Mikasa what she thinks of him. This is the day before he leaves the group. You looked at the sky, it was still bright and early. Still, it wasn’t enough time.

_Dammit, why couldn’t you have woken up earlier?_


	3. Before Hell Breaks Loose Part 2

You stepped into a tent full of women. Armin whispered to someone before leaving. You couldn’t tell who it was since Armin’s back shielded the person from your view. The woman he whispered to turned around. It was Sasha! She was still alive! Tears threatened to spill out your eyes. Before you made a fool of yourself, you sniffled and discreetly wiped your eyes.

Sasha must have interpreted your actions as a result of stress from being almost killed by her friends. She gave a comforting smile and patted your back.

“There, there! Don’t be scared! They didn’t mean to hurt you, just scare you a little. I guess that backfired, though.” She gave you some clothing and helped you change into them.

“These are my clothes. Hopefully they fit!” she dusted off your shoulders and checked if everything was in place. After examining you for a hot minute, she nodded ruefully.

You couldn’t stop staring at her. You wanted to hug her and never let her go. She was such an angel; she didn’t deserve to die. Sasha was one of your favorite characters. It was surreal that she was standing in front of you.

* * *

A shuffling noise was heard outside. You turned your head towards the opening of the tent. She didn’t seem to find anything out of the ordinary. Suddenly, Sasha turned giddy and hooked her arm around yours. You let her lead you outside. She explained that she was going to introduce you to some of her friends.

Honestly, you didn’t know how to feel. Armin may have warned her about you, so why was she being so nice? She probably needed to introduce you to others so more people could keep their eyes on you. It made sense if you really thought about it. Oh well, you weren’t the one calling the shots so you decided you’d just go with it.

You met up with Jean and Connie. Connie was exactly like you pictured him to be, albeit with slightly longer hair. He was definitely taller now. Jean, however, surprised you. You expected him to be more horse-like but that wasn’t the case. He did have a long face, but it suited him. His hair and stubble also complemented his looks. You said your hellos before Mikasa whisked Sasha away.

Mikasa threw a glance over her shoulder before resuming her conversation with Sasha. The two walked further and further away. Soon, it was just you, Connie, and Jean. You could tell Connie was brimming with curiosity.

“Hey, out of all the rooms you could have climbed in, why did you choose ours? Did something happen to you? Why’d you pass out for a whole week?” Connie’s questions took you by surprise. Armin must have told the others about your lie. Of course, it didn’t explain the small explosion that took place but at least they seemed to believe it for now.

“Everything’s a blur but I was feeling sleepy so I might have sleep-walked and broke into your room by accident.” You hoped that was a good enough answer.

“Cut it off, Connie. Girlie seems a little stressed from everything. By the way, you hungry? A week without food would make a man insane but you’re surprisingly fine?” Jean retorted.

It never occurred to you that you were hungry or thirsty. As if on cue, your stomach growled. Jean stifled his laugh with a cough while Connie just snorted. “We’ll be having a feast later, you’re invited. You don’t really have a choice.” Jean stated.

Shoot. You really had to think of something fast. You needed to find Mikasa and tell her to be honest with Eren when the time came. The thing is… how would you convince her to do that? It would be suspicious of you to bring up her feelings with Eren when to her you were a mere stranger.

“Hey, who was that girl who walked away with Sasha? She was really pretty.” you asked.

Jean’s cheeks flushed a deep red and told you her name was Mikasa. Of course, you already knew but you couldn’t let that slip. Everyone was bound to be cautious around you no matter how nice they were being. You told the boys you wanted to meet her. Connie joked that you were sick of talking to them which resulted in Jean elbowing him. They bickered like siblings before agreeing to lead you to her.

Unfortunately for you, you ran into Eren. His eyes grazed every inch of you. Normally, you would have gotten excited but you knew better. This wasn’t the start of a romance. Not like the fanfictions you read, at least. However, you couldn’t ignore that brief light that sparked in Eren’s eyes before it dimmed once again and he left.

Jean retorted something about Eren being a weirdo and being off for a while. Connie agreed but that was the extent of their conversation. You let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

* * *

You finally met up with Mikasa. Connie and Sasha sashayed away and were lost in their own world, cracking a few jokes with each other. Jean mumbled something about being busy and took off. You didn’t miss the small glance he gave Mikasa. That was adorable. 

Mikasa cocked her head to side. It was just the two of you now. Perfect. You braced yourself for what was next to come. It was such an idiotic idea but you were pretty sure it’d be good enough.

You shut your eyes tightly and feigned dizziness. Mikasa quickly grabbed onto you to prevent you from falling. You could feel her muscles from her clothing. Ugh, she was ripped. As much as you wanted to grasp onto her biceps, you had another task that was much more important.

She worriedly asked if you were alright. You shook your head and whispered something under your breath. Mikasa couldn’t understand a word you were saying so she leaned in closer. You brought your lips to her ear.

“Be honest with your feelings. Don’t hesitate to tell him how you feel. You’ll live to regret it.”

Fingers gripped you tightly and you were pretty sure you’d get bruised but it was honestly worth it. Hopefully, this could change the course of things and make things much easier for everyone involved. Mikasa soon realized her hold on you was too aggressive and she eased her body.

“What do you mean?” she asked. A million thoughts swirled through her head. You knew she was usually very guarded but you hoped that your words seeped into her mind.

“I noticed the way you look at the man with green eyes. It’s just an assumption but I reckon you have a crush on him.” At this, Mikasa’s ears tinged red. Haha. Bullseye. You loaded the gun and pulled the trigger. Now you just wished it would reach its mark.

She slowly pulled her arms away from you and while you wanted to pout at her for letting you go, you didn’t. That would have been too weird. A friendly smile graced your lips.

“Why are you saying this to me?”

“Think of me as your guardian angel or something. You’re welcome.”

Mikasa didn’t push you any further. Okay, maybe you were acting ridiculous and didn’t make sense but this needed to work or humanity’s doomed.

* * *

A few hours passed by and you kept waiting for Eren to approach Mikasa. Nothing happened. That was weird. Would he tell her after the festivities and drinking? No, you were sure it would occur before that.

“Oi, brat.” Your head whipped around so fast toward the voice. Levi stood there with a grumpy expression on his face. He risked a quick peek at your lip. A sigh emerged from his mouth.

“I got carried away. It’s small and isn’t a big deal, though. You’ll survive.”

Before you could reply, he shuffled away and grumbled about Hange forcing him to do things he didn’t want to. Oh right! Hange! Where were they? No, keep focused. Your mission right now is to ensure Mikasa follows your advice. If she didn’t, you already had something in plan.

You had decided earlier that in the instance she ignored your words, you’d pop up behind her and spill everything to Eren. By everything, you meant _EVERYTHING_. From the moment they met until now. So what if they were freaked out by how you knew all those details. The beating you’d get and the possible imprisonment would be for a good cause anyway.

* * *

Everyone was huddled in a gigantic tent. People were eating and drinking everywhere. You, on the other hand, couldn’t help but feel anxious. Eren and Mikasa weren’t talking to each other for some reason. _‘C’mon, Eren! Use your balls for once and ask her!’_

You spotted a random cup full of liquid and chugged it. It burned horribly but it did loosen you up. Still, it couldn’t take away the edge you felt. Without thinking, you kept chugging and chugging. This wasn’t according to plan. Ah, whatever. If you were all going to die soon, it was the perfect occasion to drink.

Connie and Sasha cheered you on as you kept downing alcohol. Jean looked like he was sick to his stomach and excused himself. Hange was letting loose as well and prodded Levi with their finger. Levi had his arms crossed and opted to watch everyone else. He had a ghost of a smile on his face. It would falter when his eyes flickered over to you, though.

All of a sudden, Eren stood up. This was the moment. You sucked in a sharp breath and waited. Why was Eren walking closer and closer to you? You saw that Mikasa glanced up at him several times. What was happening? He should be bringing Mikasa outside and then you’d follow them and eavesdrop.

He exchanged a look with Armin and gently dragged you out of the tent. A little woozy, you tried your best to balance yourself. The cool wind sobered you up a bit.

_‘Why’d he drag me out here? He hasn’t even talked to me the whole day. He just stares but that’s it. I actually thought Eren was pretty hot but he’s kinda giving me the creeps.’_

Sensing your discomfort, Eren coughed. “I’m not going to hurt you. I promise.”

“Uhh okay yeah. What’s up?”

“You seem really familiar. I feel like I’ve met you before.”

_‘Hard chance.’_ you thought. He wasn’t real. How in the world could he have met you beforehand?

“I’m pretty sure we’ve never met. I would have recognized you, for sure.”

“How old are you?” Eren furrowed his brows in concentration.

“I’m about your age.”

“No, I’m pretty sure I’ve talked to you before-”

Your eyes shut and you felt your body getting heavier. Maybe you shouldn’t have drank so much. Your chest blossomed with pain. It was as if you were being ripped to shreds. Powerful hands held onto you as you felt your consciousness fade away.


	4. Not According to Plan

You woke up startled. You weren’t even on your bed. In fact, you were there on your floor. You got up and ran to the bathroom. Flicking the light on, you stared at your reflection in the mirror. There was a faint scar on the side of your mouth and lip.

“What the…” You checked your arms and found no bruises although your body was sore.

“That was a freaky dream. It seemed so real.”

You splashed water on your face and went back to your room. You checked the time. It was 10:05 PM. Five minutes? You were asleep for five minutes? That dream felt like a lifetime.

If only you’d known it was a dream, you would have smooched each character there. It didn’t explain the scar on your face, which sort of freaked you out. You shrugged it off and decided it wasn’t worth it spending time thinking about a stupid dream.

Rubbing your eyes and waddling over to your desk, you opened up Google. Your fingers hovered over your keyboard. What would you even search?

* * *

Two weeks have passed and nothing out of the ordinary happened. You also didn’t experience any more dreams. You told one of your friends that you hit your head and blacked out for a solid five minutes and they suggested you go check if you were concussed. You agreed with their sentiments, but in reality, you were sure it was nothing serious.

You didn’t bother checking anything AOT related ever since you had that dream. To be honest, it still freaked you out. You missed checking up on updates and scrolling through Twitter looking for theories.

Slapping yourself out of your thoughts, you sat yourself down to your laptop. You opened a tab and quickly typed ‘Attack on Titan’.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing popped up.

_‘What? Why is nothing popping up?’_

You searched and searched. Still nothing. You even tried Shingeki no Kyojin. That didn’t work either. Why was it gone? You didn’t hallucinate the whole thing, right? Impossible. You spent years in the fandom, you even interacted with some other fans.

You didn’t even have any merch as proof it existed. _‘Damn, why was I so cheap? Something, ANYTHING would be helpful right now.’_

To hell with it, you were going to consult the world wide web. Gathering your thoughts, you posted in an online anime forum asking if anyone has ever heard of Attack on Titan.

A few hours passed with you staring at your screen. Each response made you sweat even more. No one knew what it was. How come? It had a _huge_ fanbase. This was really, really weird. Bile started rising up your throat. Rushing over to your toilet, you hunched over and heaved.

Sand. It was all sand. The toilet water swirled with particles of it. A cold sweat broke out on your forehead and you had to bite back a scream. Your body trembled with fear. What was wrong with you?

Was it not a dream after all? But why were you back in your world? So many questions swirled around. Attack on Titan didn’t exist anymore. You were straight up vomiting SAND.

_‘That’s it. I have to go back.’_

Before you did anything else, you changed your clothing. You wore a simple blouse and a long skirt. You opted to wear some boots in case anything drastic happened and you needed to run. Equipping a small pocket knife which you stuck in your skirt’s waistband, you made your way to the floor.

* * *

Stomping on the floor didn’t help at all. You didn’t fall through a hole like last time. Huffing out in frustration, you tried to think of what happened last time but your mind was blank. You weren’t even fully sure what happened. Suddenly, another stupid idea came into mind. Wow, it’s almost like you were a genius when it came to unconventional things that involved your demise.

You’d have to injure yourself badly but it was worth a try. A few minutes went by with you hyping yourself up. “I can do this! Whoo!” You punched the air and started stretching. Okay. No more time to waste. You sat at your chair and eyed your desk. Here goes nothing. One… Two… _SLAM_.

* * *

A burning sensation pervaded your lungs. Breathe. _Breathe!_ You couldn’t breathe! Your eyes shot open and you instantly regretted it. Gosh, your eyes stung with pain now too. Rolling over to your side, you could feel that you weren’t on solid terrain. Gravity must have been on your side since you immediately started coughing. Sand kept coming out of you.

Ew. More sand. You rubbed your eyes in an attempt to clear them up and soaked in your surroundings. Your throat was dry and your clothes itched with sand but what you saw mesmerized you.

It was like the whole galaxy was above you. The sky lit up with an ethereal glow. It vaguely reminded you of a tree, or lightning. Stars mottled all around and it was still. There was complete silence.

You walked around and your scenery never changed. It felt like you were going around in circles. Kicking the sand in frustration, you noticed a sand dune in the distance. You ran as fast as you could and started hiking up.

When you reached its peak, you were confused. It looked small when it was far away, but looking over the edge, it seemed gargantuan. Carefully, you inched closer. Too bad your caution was in vain. You felt a pair of hands shove you off and you fell.

* * *

Tears stained your face when you awoke. Why did you have to keep flirting with death? Why wasn’t luck on your side? You swiftly wiped your tears and heard a stream nearby. You cleaned yourself up as best as you can and shook the sand off. It wasn’t enough.

 _‘Ah… should I? Yeah, I should.’_ You jumped in, clothes and all and instantly felt better. You took your sweet time wading around in the water and decided it was time you dried off.

You walked around the plush fields and saw a few people. They looked at you weirdly since you were still damp. It didn’t matter. You didn’t want to waste time and the sun was drying you anyway.

Eventually, you made your way into what looked like a marketplace. There were stalls and people mingling about. In order to not seem threatening, you gave sweet smiles and waved at others. You strolled around for a bit before shouting filled your ears. You turned to a corner and found a few kids beating up an already bruised child.

Your eyes widened as you recognized the kid as Eren. No. This was a mistake. You weren’t supposed to be here. You were supposed to go back! Not back as in _back_ in time! You cursed under your breath and rolled the sleeves of your blouse up.

“Hey! Leave him alone!” The bullies turned to you with cocky grins, expecting you to be another kid. When they saw the look of fury in your eyes, they backed up but didn’t go away. You didn’t condone violence against children, but for little Eren you were willing to make an exception.

“Cocky little brats. I’m going to mess you all up. I dare you to hurt him again.” You stepped closer, grinning evilly. You grabbed a rather thick stick nearby and slammed it against the alley wall. This earned you a bunch of splinters and a large gash on your hand but you continued to move in on them.

“H-hey, she seems crazy. We should go…” The bullies gulped and ran away before you could actually do anything. Thank goodness. You didn’t think you had it in you to actually hit a child.

You knelt to where Eren was and lifted his head up so you could examine his injuries. He wasn’t cut but he did sport a litter of bruises. You smiled at him and gathered your skirt in your hands. You started wiping at the dirt stuck on his cheeks. At first he was wary, but he eased up since you did just help him get rid of the brats.

All the while, Eren stared at your face curiously. “Hey, lady. Why did you help me?”

You gave him a look that said, _‘Why wouldn’t I?’_ and continued your task. You ignored the sting in your palm and made sure Eren was clean.

A few voices alerted you that people were approaching. Eren lit up. Ah, it was probably Armin and Mikasa. As much as you wanted to stay and see them as kids, you knew you had overstayed. Even helping Eren out felt risky.

You stood up and pet Eren gingerly with your uninjured hand before slipping away. You were sure Mikasa was berating him by now.

_‘What do I do now? If I’m in Shiganshina, it means that the wall hasn’t been broken yet. Should I try to do something?’_

You pursed your lips. Ack, this was a serious pain. If you tried to warn the Garrison, they’d probably laugh in your face. If you caused a commotion, no one would take you seriously. What about Hannes? No, he’d probably be drinking at this moment.

Frustrated, you kicked a stone. A few stares went your way and you took that as your cue to stop throwing a tantrum. You offered passersby a sheepish smile and made your way.

Maybe a little sightseeing would do you good. The village seemed quaint and lovely. You hummed a little tune to yourself and kept walking. You were a little hungry but you had no money. Guess you had to endure the pain.

The blood on your hand had dried and was crusty. You were too lazy to rip up a piece of your skirt to bandage it. It didn’t seem worth the effort.

Only a few minutes had passed but your body started feeling heavy. There we go again. It was probably time for you to head back to your world anyway. This time, you didn’t resist. This time it didn’t hurt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> next chapter is gonna be shorter than my past updates but ill make it up to you all ;)


	5. Give Me a Break

Your body twitched when you gained consciousness. You raised your head slightly. It throbbed. Maybe you slammed your head into your desk too roughly. At least it worked. You didn’t even bother freshening up this time around. You were exhausted. All this transporting through different worlds was taking its toll on you physically and mentally. It was honestly driving you mad.

Before you drifted off into slumber, you decided to check if Attack on Titan was back in existence. No, it wasn’t. You had thought as much. Heaving a sigh, you rubbed your forehead to try and ease the pain. It was only then that you noticed a piece of paper on top of your desk.

The paper was thin and faded and had only two words scrawled on it.

_Save us._

A chill passed through your body as you looked around your room. The windows were shut and the curtains drawn. Who could have left this here? Unless… Nah. Your house wasn’t haunted. You were sure of it.

Someone was clearly trying to communicating with you, but you weren’t sure who. It creeped you out but you chose to accept it.

Your life was out of your control now.

* * *

The following day, you overslept. You only woke up when it was 4 in the afternoon. You had to admit that it was the best sleep you’ve gotten in weeks. Don’t get it twisted, you were still exhausted but at least you got some form of peace. 

It was a good thing you bought automatic feeders for your pets or they might have starved.

Spending time with them seemed right at the moment. And that’s exactly what you did. You bonded with your babies until they got sick of you.

After that whole fiasco, you grew restless. You didn’t even bother checking your lectures. It all seemed meaningless. You were dealing with something much more than college. The thought annoyed you greatly.

_‘Wow. I never thought something would irritate me more than college.’_

Oh, right. Your hand. Why hadn’t it occurred to you before? You stared at your palm and sure enough, there was a scar of what used to be a gash across your hand. It was a little cool and you had to prevent yourself from geeking out. But to be fair you felt like a cool viking with all these battle scars.

They weren’t _battle_ scars per se, but they were still cool nonetheless. You stripped off your clothing and hopped into your shower. You made sure the water was warm enough for your muscles to relax but not hot enough to burn you. You scrubbed yourself off with soap and a washcloth.

When you closed your eyes for shampoo, your body suddenly turned stiff. It felt like you were drowning, suspended underwater.

A sensation tingled in your back which jolted you back to reality.

_‘What did I just see?’_

You held out your hands in front of you. They were shaking nonstop. The shampoo dribbled down into the drain. What a waste.

You couldn’t care less at this moment. That vision or whatever you felt would have rattled anyone. You quickly shut the water off and dried yourself off.

You changed into pajamas and buried yourself deep under a blanket. Tears flowed out of you nonstop. Nervous sobs and painful hiccups wracked your body.

You just wanted this to stop. You never asked for this to happen. All you wanted was to graduate college already and start working. You couldn’t even go out since there was a pandemic. This sucked. A lot.

You cried until you ran out of tears. Truthfully, you were feeling dehydrated but you didn’t feel like getting up off your bed. You calmed down after a while and drifted in and out of sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i kno i kno its short but ill make it up to yall :DD 
> 
> also so far its been going good with the daily updates but i do have finals coming up sooo.... might not be able to update as often but well see!


	6. Uh Oh

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> enjoy!

Sunlight flooded your vision. Stifling a yawn, you pushed yourself up. Hold on. This wasn’t your room. You _were_ in a room, but not the one you knew. There was a small vase with violet flowers sitting on the windowsill.

“Good morning.” a voice lazily greeted. You looked down and found someone sitting on a bench but lying their face and arms on the bed you were on.

“Hi…?”

The person turned their head toward you. It was Eren. He looked groggy and a stubble had formed on his chin. You were glad you came back but couldn’t help but wonder why Eren was there with you.

You chewed your lip nervously. Huh? It wasn’t sore anymore. You could have sworn you had a wound the last time you were here.

“How long was I asleep?”

Eren finally sat up and looked at you. It seemed as if he was trying to figure out your whole being. “A month at least.” he replied.

“A full month? Where are we?”

“My homeland. Paradis.”

Did the story change because you appeared? If this was a month later from your encounter with the group in Marley, that would mean that Eren stayed with them after all.

That would mean there's hope in stopping the rumbling!

He saw the sparkle in your eye and cocked a brow upward. What was so amusing?

You couldn’t suppress the frown on your face. “What’s the matter? Why do you look so amused?” you chided.

He shrugged and got up from his spot. He said a quick goodbye and left the room.

A minute later, Hange walked in.

“Hey there! Glad to see you’re up now. I’m Hange.” Hange extended their hand toward you. You took it and gave it your best business handshake.

“We had someone check you a few times. You aren’t sick but you also aren’t doing too well.”

You gave them an awkward smile. “Sorry about that. I know I sort of barged into your lives unexpectedly. Why didn’t you leave me at Marley?”

“Yeah, no can do. It was too risky leaving you all alone there. Especially since you know about our identities.”

“Oh.”

“Mhm. What’s with you and Eren? He kept watching you as you slept. Mikasa almost died of worry always trying to check up on him.”

“I’m not sure. He’s a little mysterious and seems uptight.”

Hange chortled. “Uptight? I think you mean Levi.”

You rolled your eyes playfully and conversed with Hange some more. They asked you what might have happened for you to be so physically weak. You were also questioned about your fuzzy thoughts and how you were feeling now.

Although you answered to the best of your ability, you could tell Hange wasn’t satisfied. It seemed like they were craving for more. You felt bad that you couldn’t tell them everything that you knew.

Your mind drifted to the note you saw on your desk.

_Save us._

It was such an ominous phrase. Save who, exactly? How could someone like you shoulder the burden of saving someone? Who needed saving? If anything, you needed to be saved from all this nonsense.

Should you tell Hange about this? No. They’d freak out. It would be better if you kept vital information to yourself. You weren’t sure if it would help you survive if you carelessly spilled everything.

No matter how nice they treated you, you knew they were still suspicious.

Well, you did try to tell Armin but he probably took it with a grain of salt. Surely it would still cause suspicion among you. Ugh. Using your brain really started to hurt.

Hange could tell you were starting to stress out. They bid you a farewell and winked as they exited the room.

* * *

You stared at your palm. The scar was still there. Could it be possible that when travelling through different timelines, you still stayed in the same reality?

If so, did that also apply to your world? But if it did, why did Attack on Titan stop existing? Poof. Gone.

It was freaky.

You took a deep breath and tried to retrace your steps. Technically you had first met Squad Levi in Marley, however, you went back in time and encountered young Eren; now you were back, but in Paradis.

Shit. So that’s why Eren was certain he’d met you before. Idiot. You should have let him be.

_‘Shouldn’t have stepped in recklessly. Mikasa would have saved him anyway. What was I thinking? Of course he’d be threatened by me. That’s why he keeps watching my every move! Stupid, stupid.’_

A loud groan erupted from you. You stood up abruptly, not caring about the pain in your head. You stretched and heard some of your joints crack. Ahh, that hit the spot.

You had deduced that your inactivity made your body weaker. Then again, you didn’t have the motivation and drive like Mikasa to do sit-ups when injured.

After kicking the small bench toward the window, you sat on it and stared outside. The air felt so crisp and fresh. Not like your old city. That was a given, though.

Paradis _was_ a decade behind in technology even if they had received help from Yelena and Onyankopon.

Speaking of the two, you wondered where they were. You know what? You’ll think of them another time. Meeting Yelena meant you had to deal with Zeke and you weren’t ready for that. Not yet at least.

You weren’t even sure how much time you had to change the story’s outcome. Sure, Eren was still here, but you didn’t know his motives.

He was able to formulate a whole plan for the rumbling behind his friends’ backs. He could certainly do it again.

Did Eren even capture Ymir yet? You had hoped not. It would be game over if he did.

You eyed the flowers on the windowsill. They were really pretty. You leaned over and sniffed them. Huh. They didn’t smell like anything.

Your hand reached out to feel a petal.

Instantly, static flooded your insides. It felt like you were being tased. Or electrocuted. Whichever was more painful.

An animalistic scream bubbled out of your throat. It burned your insides but you couldn’t help it. Was this how you died? By touching a flower?

You could feel your body giving up. No, you hadn’t even done anything yet. You couldn’t die. Or maybe you’d just go back to your home. No, that wasn’t good either. It shouldn’t be time. It was too early.

You had to know more.

Arms wrapped around you and pulled you away from the flower. You collapsed on the person.

* * *

Connie was the first to hear your scream as he was next in line to watch you. He jolted into the room and saw you spasming. His eyes darted between you and the flower you were touching.

The flower, although only keeping in contact with your pointer finger, was shaking violently. Connie sprinted towards you and pulled you away.

As soon as he did that, you felt instant relief. He wiped your sweat away with his sleeve as you writhed in his grasp.

By the time you had calmed down, everyone swarmed into the room. Concerned faces surrounded you. You gave them a half-hearted thumbs up as a way to tell them you were alright now. Connie looked at you and squeezed your arm in reassurance.

He aided you in standing up and let you use him for balance.

Jean was the first to talk.

“What the hell was that?”

Connie glanced at you and decided you were still a bit disoriented. He explained what he witnessed to everyone.

Levi crossed his arms. “Flower, my ass. Where are the flowers? There’s only sand there.”

Sand? You whipped your head toward the windowsill. The vase was full of sand. Why?

Sasha quipped and said she had placed the flowers there so that you could have something pretty to look at.

Jean stared at you. “You’re not a god, are you? Mm, you’re cute but you don’t seem… powerful.” Mikasa gave him a look and he instantly shut up.

You tried to speak but only a croak came out. That, and some sand spilled out your mouth.

Needless to say, everyone was grossed out. Except for Hange. Hange was fascinated.


	7. Well...That Was Close

Over the next few days, Hange ran tests and experiments on you. They made you touch more flowers. Strangely enough, nothing happened.

You also didn’t cough any more sand. That was a good thing. You were starting to get tired of sand. Frankly, it burned your throat and it didn’t taste good.

Although the experiments with Hange were exhausting, there _was_ one upside to it. Not only could you freely ogle Hange, but you could ogle Levi too. He always seemed to stick by ever since the flower incident happened.

He was most likely making sure that you weren’t up to any funny business. Fine by you. At least you got to see his face. And the way his uniform hugged his figure.

Mikasa and Armin also volunteered to train you. To put it bluntly, you sucked at hand-to-hand combat. And knife combat. Or any combat. You felt sad that your pocket knife didn’t magically teleport with you. Well- you didn’t have it on you when you transported anyway.

You fell asleep crying before coming back here. It baffled you how you came to this world without anything happening. In the end, you didn’t have to forcibly injure yourself just to transport back here.

_That piece of information could have been helpful earlier._

Anyway, Mikasa was really strict with training. She didn’t cut you any slack. Every punch she threw at you made contact with your skin.

It hurt like hell but seeing her muscles glisten in the sunlight was like a gift from above. The thing with Mikasa is that she would train with only a sports bra and shorts. Her abs were always on full display and you both admired and envied her for it.

Armin went easier on you since he didn’t excel in combat either. He also took into account that you virtually had no physical training before. Initially, he was still wary of you but his concerns about your identity were probably filed away in that genius brain of his.

He had other things to worry about.

* * *

You ended up bonding with Sasha the most during your stay. She was bubbly and would talk to you about anything and everything. Whenever you had a break, you made sure to spend it with her. She was usually with Mikasa so you ended up talking with Mikasa a lot too.

Occasionally, you would bump into Connie and Jean and join in their conversations. Mind you, their talks were quite random but you enjoyed their friendly banters. Although you would encounter Eren a lot, he wouldn’t stay for chit-chat of any kind.

Levi was honestly the person you talked to the least. It seemed like he was avoiding you. He didn’t even _try_ to bond with you like he did with the others in his squad.

It didn’t phase you since it was understandable. Still, you wanted _something_ to fangirl about while you were in this world.

It was because of this that you decided to confront Levi. It was stupid and you’d probably get beaten, but you didn’t care.

“Captain!”

As soon as he heard your voice, his pace started getting faster. Stubborn and determined, you dashed after him and grabbed his arm with both hands.

“Captain Levi! Please, take a minute to listen to me.” His gaze burned a hole in your body but you ignored it.

“What do you want, brat?” He rolled his eyes and opted to stare at a tree nearby.

“Why do you always avoid me? I know I’m still fishy but I think I’ve done a good enough job of proving I’m not evil or anything. I don’t remember offending you, either.” ~~Hahaha~~ , you were being _so_ disrespectful by grabbing onto his arm. _Who were you kidding?_

After you asked your question, Levi’s eyes snapped back to yours. He shifted towards you and examined your face.

Then, his thumb brushed the scar over your lip.

In your moment of shock, you let go of this arm. Uh, this was _awkward_. Was he going to kiss you? Oh my goodness. You didn’t even have access to toothpaste in this world.

He realized what he was doing and frowned. He stared at his thumb and let it drop to his side.

“I got carried away. I’m sorry for hurting you.”

Woah. Did Levi just apologize to you? All this time he wasn’t mad at you, he just felt guilty!

_‘Wait, I kinda wanted a kiss.’_

You shook those devious thoughts away and smiled at him. “No hard feelings! It wasn’t your fault. If a random person ended up in my room, I’d probably tie them up too.”

At this, Levi gave a small smile. “I didn’t tie you up.”

Your brow cocked up. A few seconds passed.

“Armin did.”

A snort threatened to erupt. You knew you shouldn’t take that out of context but _my goodness_ , that piece of information was interesting as hell. Armin you sly boy.

Levi left you soon after since you had a weird expression on your face.

At least you made up with him and cleared up the misunderstanding. That felt great.

* * *

A few days passed and you found yourself in quite a predicament. Jean was currently drunk off his mind and ranting to you.

“Mikasa always goes on and on about Eren! I could treat her sooooooooo much better than that jerk! He barely even talks to her these days! I know she’s so lonely and I wish I could just give her a hug or something, y’know?”

“Yeah, buddy. Let it all out.”

“You’ve only been here a short time and you’ve already gotten close to her! I’ve known her for years and I still can’t hold a decent conversation with her… I’m so useless.”

You gave him a pat on his back. “Jean, you’re a great person. Have you ever thought of maybe looking for someone else?”

“Who? Sasha’s the only other girl here and she has Niccolo. I can see the way they look at each other. I want that. I want that with her.”

Poor Jean. You didn’t know how to help. As much as you wanted to help him out, you didn’t know what would happen if you pushed Mikasa towards him.

You couldn’t risk messing the story up too much. Jean was cute, yes, but you didn’t want to form any intimate relationships with anyone. It was tempting, but now that the story changed, you didn’t have any guide to navigate the future.

“You want a hug, buddy?”

Jean nodded abruptly, causing a little bit of snot to dribble down. He quickly sniffled it back up before taking you in his arms.

It went on like that for a few moments. The embrace was really comforting. When you teleported to this world, you expected everyone to smell musty and gross but they actually smelled quite clean. Well- as clean as someone can get with water and no soap.

He was starting to feel drowsy so you escorted him to his bed and pushed him onto it. You bid him a farewell and shut his door as quietly as you could.

When you exited his room, a pair of curious eyes met your interest.

“Oh! Hi, Armin.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> we all need some moments with the aot cast before things get heavy :U
> 
> alsooo some of ya'll have picked up on my little hints!! i'm really happy about that hehe  
> however close some of your theories are though... they're not hitting the mark exactly
> 
> which is okay with me bc i'd like to blow ur minds !! bamboozled babie
> 
> i really appreciate the support from each and every one of you readers ;-; i've had this fic in my mind for a while but didn't really have a concrete plan or the confidence to execute it but so far so good! 
> 
> as for the length of this fanfic i'm not really sure! there's so much i haven't unpacked yet and it would be too abrupt if i ended it in a few chapters buuuut i also don't want it to drag on, y'know?


	8. Breaking Free

Armin shushed you and led you to a dark corridor. He was being really secretive and kept glancing sideways.

Although you were terrified, you chose to follow him anyway.

Eventually, the two of you reached a locked door. He presented a key and opened it swiftly. Then he pushed you inside.

It took you a while for your eyes to adjust to the torch light. It was then that you gasped.

In the middle of the room was Annie, encased in her crystal. She looked so peaceful, like she was just sleeping.

Armin finally stood next to you. Before you could question him, he opened his mouth.

“This is Annie. I always come down here to talk to her. I don’t know if she hears me but… I don’t like the idea of keeping her away all the time.”

_Oh, this was going to get interesting._ A cruel grin crept its way onto your face. “Do you perhaps… Fancy her?”

Instantly, Armin’s face bloomed into an array of red. He didn’t answer and instead evaded the question. “Anyway, I brought you here to see if you could help her out.”

“How would I help her out? I’m pretty sure you guys tried to smash that crystal thing before and failed.”

“Yes, but after the flower incident I feel like you could do something. I don’t know. I can’t help but think that you’re important.”

“Yeah, yeah, no need to flatter me. I’ll help you out. Don’t get mad if this doesn’t work out, though.” You shooed him away and he stepped back a few steps.

There was a slim chance that you could actually break the crystal but you casted your doubts aside. If you helped Armin with this, he wouldn’t be suspicious of your motives anymore. He’d cast his curiosity on what you _are_ rather than what you were going to do.

You gave yourself a little pep talk before deciding to slap a hand on the crystal. Instantly, a deafening boom erupted as shards dropped and scattered before eventually dissolving into nothingness.

A hand lunged for your throat and you could feel your eyes start to roll back into your head.

“Annie! Stop! She’s not dangerous!” Armin screamed.

Annie continued gripping your throat. She turned her head towards Armin and pushed down harder blocking any air flow.

“Do you trust her?” she questioned.

“Yes! I trust her!”

At that, Annie let go of you and stood up. She brushed off the sand that got on her and crossed her arms.

The blood flowed back into your head and you took a huge gulp of air. Itchy, itchy. Your throat was so dry it felt like you hadn’t drunk any water for a year.

Armin helped you up and offered an apology. You waved him off and gave a rueful smile. You held out your hand to Annie and introduced yourself. Annie was clearly weirded out but accepted your outstretched hand.

She literally tried to kill you and here you were smiling like a maniac, greeting your almost murderer. To be fair, you were giddy with excitement. No one had been able to break her out of there for four years! Nobody except you! The longer you stayed in this world, the more your ego inflated.

Armin carefully peeked out of the door. It was unlikely anyone heard anything since you were deep underground. At most, people would assume it was a small earthquake. Either way, you knew that Levi would most likely sense that something was amiss.

You were sure once the news that you broke the crystal spread, Hange would conduct even more experiments on you. Connie would probably spectate and laugh at your misery.

The three of you went on your own way. Well, Annie and Armin went together. They probably were going to go break the news to Levi and Hange. Even if you knew Armin harbored feelings for Annie and would want to keep her safe, he wouldn’t risk endangering his teammates by withholding any information he discovered. He also said he’d cover for you and take the fall if the Captain got mad.

You, however, went outside to go bathe in the small pond near your quarters. It was really late and no one was outside so you decided to strip. You never got a chance to skinny-dip in your world so you decided to do it here. Why not?

No one would see you anyway. It was too dark out.

So dark in fact that you didn’t see it when a small hand crept up from underneath you and pulled you into the abyss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yey annie got out of her crystal!! 
> 
> also i really enjoy reading your comments! it means a lot to me when you show your support and express your thoughts. i also love the various theories you guys come up with. ya'll are a smart bunch indeed. 
> 
> apologies if this chapter took a while to come out despite it being short :C i was rewriting chap 9 bc i wasn't satisfied with the way it was written so it ended up slipping my mind updating this chap!
> 
> if you wanna know what i'm up to in between writing fanfics and stuff you can check my socials on my profile uwu (im a really boring person tho so-)


	9. Swampy Nightmare

_There was a heavy weight in your chest. Swirls of darkness swamped your vision, making it impossible to see your surroundings. A slimy rope-like object snaked around your arms, binding your limbs against your body. **No more hope. Yes. That is right. There was no more hope left in this wretched world. You had survived this much pain for centuries. Nothing would change. It never would. You were merely a pawn in this sick game. Who were you even? Did you really exist? Were you not a mistake? A failure? Living life in mediocrity, always accepting things as they are. Never truly tapping into your potential. A waste. Truly and tragically- a waste. You poor, clueless fool.**_

**_You were not meant for greater things._ **

**_Freedom is not a prize to be won. Freedom is not what you think it may be. Foolish child. Everyone had high hopes for you. You were meant to save everyone. Imagine their disappointment when they find out their lives had been decided from the very start._ **

**_Why did you ever think that you possessed the power to change the course of time and destiny itself? You were never great. You were never just. You were never kind. It is rather astounding how you even had the confidence to think such a thing. Everything was a mere hallucination; a fantasy procured by oneself to overcome one’s guilt._ **

**_Were you ever truly alive?_ **

_Smoke slipped past your lips. It filled the space around you with a dreadful aura. You were helpless and no one was here to save you. You were not even capable of saving yourself. Too many mistakes had been made. How long would this punishment last? **You cannot do anything to stop it.**_

**_After all, this was all your doing._ **

* * *

A beam of light burst through your chest, illuminating the inky space around you. It got brighter and brighter until you felt your body split in fragments.

An infant’s cry filled the air. The baby screeched like a banshee as soon as it was born. Its umbilical cord was swiftly cut by its father. The infant was swiftly placed on top of its mother’s breast.

The doctor and nurses surrounding the new parents cheered and congratulated the couple and cleaned up the mess. The father wept with joy and smothered his wife with kisses. Upon closer inspection, the child was a beautiful girl. She was about average weight for a newborn and glowed with a flush.

It took but a few moments for the baby girl to cease her cries. She settled into the crook of her mother’s neck, basking in the welcome warmth her mother emitted. 

The father stepped back and produced a camera. The mother smiled and snuggled the infant closer.

“Welcome to the world, [First name].” _Click._

* * *

One step. Two steps. Then a scream.

“Oh no! It’s okay, sweetie. Mommy’s got you.” Your mom gingerly picked you up and shushed your cries. You had walked on your own once before but any other time you tried, you ended up falling on your face. Your stubby legs felt like goo whenever you tried to control them.

Snot dripped down your face and your mother wiped it off. “Aww, baby, it’s fine! You take after me, after all! I was a fast learner and surely you are too. Don’t tell daddy but he’s a little slow.” Your mom winked at you and decided to put you to bed.

* * *

“Mom!”

“Yes, [First name]?”

“How do I do this math problem?”

Silence.

“Aren’t you in the third grade? How hard can it be?”

Your mother glanced at your homework.

“Go ask your dad for help.”

You skipped over to your father who was currently watching TV in the living room.

“Dad!”

“Yeah, honey?”

“How do I solve this math problem?”

“…Ask your mother.”

* * *

Cheers erupted from your class as you tossed your graduation caps in the wind. It was finally the end of high school. While you knew that there was so much more left to life, you couldn’t help but feel like something was going to change drastically.

Your whole life had been quite an average one. It was filled with ups and downs but at present you had felt a certain melancholy. Truthfully, you had always felt it lingering in the back of your mind. There were times where you were perfectly happy only to feel a heavy weight in your chest. You had thought it was a health condition but you had gotten it checked out and you had been healthy.

There were times when your mind would be tortured with horrific images. Those nightmares only occurred when you were feeling particularly stressed or overworked. It wasn’t so bad that you couldn’t deal with it but it was still freaky waking up after witnessing something so realistic.

Thank goodness you found anime a few years back or you would have drifted off into madness. Anime provided you solace when your thoughts got too heavy. They were quirky ideologies. These… images that flashed your mind were of pain and torture. It confused you how realistic and graphic they seemed; almost as if they were visions from the past.

You shook that thought away and buried it deep inside like you always have. Overthinking made your head muddled. The stress of adulthood was weighing in on you. Yeah. That’s what it was. Just a fear for the future. Your friends called you over and you made your way to them.

* * *

The pandemic struck just as you were preparing to go to college. Your dreams of getting to sit in with classmates and mingling were shattered. It was lonely, but you had a solid support system in the form of your friends and family. Life was good. It always was and always will be, right?

* * *

**_What? You think that things would change for you? You are wrong. Wherever you are, whoever you are, you have failed. You cannot break the cycle that you created out of hatred and guilt for yourself. A pitiful mess you are, indeed. How does it feel to not have any power? How does it feel to not have anyone on your side? Once they find out what you truly are._**

**_A monster._ **

_Blood bubbled up your throat, choking you. Your limbs were beginning to turn numb. Was this really how you were going to die? In such an empty and negative place? Did you really want to give up this easily? Fight, dammit! You were better than this!_

_Your parents didn’t give birth to a quitter._

_Somehow, you were born for a special reason. You didn’t know why yet, but soon enough the truth would reveal itself. Then, you would be free._

_Wetness engulfed your being. It felt as if you were stuck in goop. It was suffocating and difficult to move around. Feeling had returned to your body but where would you go? It didn’t seem like there was any direction you could go._

_Your chest tightened. An invisible string pulled you up. Your body met resistance as the goop prevented you from travelling faster but slowly and steadily you emerged from that swampy hell and found yourself in a bleak white room._

_A small hole was on the floor, beckoning you closer. You stepped closer and closer until you felt yourself getting sucked inside until nothing was left of you._

* * *

Water seeped into your lungs. _Swim!_ You forced yourself to stop panicking and kicked your feet.

Finally, you hit the surface and coughed all that wretched water out of you. The pond couldn’t have been that deep. You had seen Levi stand in it comfortably without sinking under!

Maybe it was stupid of you but you took a minute to compose yourself before wading back to the place you were before you almost drowned.

You were standing still with your head not immersed in the water. Yeah. It wasn’t super deep. If so, why did you have to swim so much just to surface?

Also, what was up with that weird fantasy you just witnessed? Were you unconscious while swimming? You needed answers fast. The only thing getting in the way of that was you didn’t know where exactly to start.

You got out of the pond and wore your clothing. All this confusion was too much. You hated it so much. Being in this world wasn’t fun anymore. As much as you loved AOT, actually living in this world and being caught up in whatever was happening sucked so much.

You made your way to the girls’ quarters before turning back in the opposite direction. The only thing opposite of the girls’ quarters was the boys’ one.

Why exactly _were_ you going there? To confront someone who had been bugging you.

It took a few minutes for you to figure out which room was exactly his but when you were sure of it, you kicked it open.

There he was, staring at his reflection in the mirror while his hair and face dripped water into the washbasin.

“Put on a shirt, Eren. I need to talk to you.”


	10. No Other Choice

Armin knocked apprehensively on the door to Levi’s office. Anxiety started gnawing on him like a dog picking at a bone. Maybe he shouldn’t have let you wander around. He had Annie by his side but at what cost? What power did you possess? You seemed innocent enough with no malicious intentions but you were definitely proving to be a miscalculation.

It wasn’t like you were strong enough to stage an attack on them. While you were training with him, he gauged how you would move and assessed how your instincts worked. He concluded that your mind was quick but the same didn’t translate for your defenses or attacks. Armin couldn’t understand it. Usually, he would have drawn up an answer already. He always did.

From the moment you met them until now, you had been an enigma. Something that piqued his curiosity but was always something he couldn’t figure out. Of course, you weren’t from Paradis and provided no concrete background information but it felt as if there was more missing from the puzzle.

Hange had tried for years to try and break Annie’s crystal but no to avail. The corps even attempted to engineer new tools but those were failures too. It also wasn’t like you did anything particularly special either. You just slapped a hand on it when it burst. Hitch did that all the time as a joke but nothing ever happened. All previous experiments conducted proved that titan hardening didn’t evaporate like a titan holder’s body, yet the crystal disappeared like it wasn’t even there in the first place. It was as if there was something in you that had elicited the crystal to respond that way.

He also couldn’t forget your reaction when Annie tried to strangle you. Your expression seemed so off. It was seemingly as if you were reuniting with an old friend and tearing up at the thought rather than panicking for your life. He also couldn’t ignore Annie’s tenseness. Annie had revealed to him that she had been listening all this time. If so, she would have known that you were only trying to help. It needed to make sense. It had to. He would find the answer. It’s what Erwin would do. He would die trying if he had to.

He glanced at Annie. She looked the same as she did from four years ago. The same aloof stare and glistening blonde hair. Annie was intimidating for sure, but Armin somehow felt a warmth around her.

Before he could continue getting deeper in his thoughts, the door opened. Hange opened their mouth for a greeting before shutting it when spotting Annie. A million questions raced through their mind but they dropped it. Levi cleared his throat and asked what all the commotion was before Hange informed him that Annie was out of the crystal.

* * *

“You expect me to believe that a simpleton like [First name] got Annie out of her damn crystal because she slapped it? We’ve spent years trying to break her out of that thing and all it took was one slap?” Levi paced around his office. He had spent the last five minutes ranting about how it was impossible, and if it were- surely, he should have kept a closer eye on you.

Meanwhile, Hange sipped some tea and examined Annie. They sucked in a breath and asked, “Annie, what do you make of the situation? Is [First name] to be trusted?”

“I… I don’t completely trust her. However, if Armin sees that she is no threat then I will abide by that thinking. I do feel that she poses a risk for us, and herself. She doesn’t seem to know the full extent of her capabilities, whatever they may be.

I’ve listened to conversations for years. I’ve felt sensations for years. I’ll be truthful with you, since I know that I am not completely innocent either. At any given time, I could have emerged from my titan hardening, but I opted not to,”

Annie glanced at Armin for a split second before furrowing her brow. It was exhausting to speak. She was hungry and she hadn’t used her vocal cords in a long time. She pushed through the pain.

“When [First name] touched my crystal, I felt an overbearing weight in my chest. I didn’t want to break free but something kept forcing me to emerge. I had no choice but to blindly follow that feeling. For a brief moment I saw a figure of some sort, yanking me out.

The next thing I knew, I was strangling her. That weight felt evil, like it was animalistic. Thankfully I composed myself before something went wrong.”

Silence engulfed the room. It was clear everyone was deep in thought, wracking their brains for some sort of explanation. This guessing game was exhausting. At last, Levi decided to pipe up.

“Where is she now? For all we know, she could be plotting to slaughter us tonight.”

Armin cleared his throat and mumbled a response. “She… went to go bathe.”

Hange tried to calm Levi down but it only ended in Levi spitting profanities on how incompetent they were all being. Enough was enough.

“ _Captain_ Levi. You forget your station. Look, I know that this whole situation is confusing but you need to calm down. Erwin entrusted me with dealing with these affairs and I intend to do so. Please. Trust in me.”

Levi finally settled down and sat in his chair. Although Hange was usually chipper, he knew that once they had had enough, it was time to listen. He couldn’t help it. When things were starting to seem fine, you managed to come and mess up their plans. For once in his life, he wanted nothing but peace.

* * *

Eren complied with your request and put on his signature shirt. He invited you in and you noticed his stubble was gone. Hm. He really was quite attractive. Too bad he’d probably drop-kick you on a second’s notice. _No, this isn’t the time to be lusting over Eren._

“Why are you in my room in the middle of the night?”

“You said I looked familiar. How so?”

“Forget it, you wouldn’t understand even if I explained.”

You took a peek outside, checking if the coast was clear before shutting the door as quietly as you could. This night was a mess. You cleared your throat and asked again.

“Fine, since you’re so persistent. When I was a kid, a woman who looked exactly like you cleaned me up after I got in a fight.”

“But what you’re thinking wouldn’t be logical, right? You’d be insinuating that we crossed paths before and that I haven’t aged one bit even though _you_ have.”

Eren nodded and sat on his bed. He patted the place next to him and you sat there.

“Why have you been keeping watch of me while I was out?” you prodded. You had a dozen questions lined up and hoped Eren was in the mood for answering them. There was too much tension between the two of you- and not the good kind.

He had a faraway look in his eyes before answering. “I didn’t anticipate your arrival. It… surprised all of us. It changes things.”

A frustrated groan made its way out of your lips before you laid on his bed. Never mind your damp hair and clothes were wetting his bed, it would eventually dry and you were too exhausted to care. You wanted answers. You wanted to go home. Your home. Your world.

That’s it. Enough of this bullshit. You had wasted enough time. You needed to act fast.

“Eren…”

Eren furrowed his brows in confusion as he studied you. He noted the way you stared vacantly at the ceiling and how tears were beginning to form in your eyes. He noted the way you hesitated before continuing. Your chest rose and fell slowly as you contemplated your next words.

“I know what’s going to happen to humanity and I know about your plan. Don’t. Ple- just- don’t. This isn’t the only way. I promise.” You were sniffling between words. Honestly, you looked a mess. So much for that pond bath.

Eren tensed and glared at you. How? How could you know anything? He had seen the future and all its outcomes. He had seen everything. Everything except… you.

By this time, you had curled yourself up into a ball facing away from Eren. You tried to muffle your cries by burying your face in your hands. This was humiliating. Who would’ve known you would be having a mental breakdown in front of Eren of all people?

He stood up abruptly and surveyed you. Your hiccups gradually got quieter until you eventually drifted off into slumber. He contemplated taking you back to your room but thought better of it. It was obvious you were in a mess.

He pitied you. It was hard enough carrying the burden of humanity all alone, but with the knowledge that you somehow knew as well… Well- that was an issue. Eren had planned on leaving that day you showed up. He had planned to start the rumbling before you even came into the picture.

That cursed day. The moment his lips touched Historia’s hand had given him so much trauma. He learned to deal with it but he knew he had always felt off to others ever since. He knew how the people he loved would die. He knew how he would die.

What he didn’t know is where you fit in. He took one last lingering look at you before exiting his room. He needed fresh air. Eren shuffled across the halls until he made it outside. It was pitch black save for a few torches. He heaved a sigh and ruffled his hair, causing a few strands to come out of his bun.

You couldn’t possibly be of royal descent. He had touched your hand twice while you were sleeping yet nothing happened. If you weren’t a descendant of King Fritz, then you were virtually useless in his task to find Ymir. Still, you _knew_ things you shouldn’t have known.

Were you another of Grisha’s children? No. That was impossible. Grisha only had one child in Marley and that was Zeke. He couldn’t have had another kid.

This was frustrating. He was supposed to keep moving forward. Why is it that his plans kept getting pushed further back? Yes, he relished in the time spent with his dear friends but he couldn’t continue this. He had to start distancing himself more. He had to finish what he started.

What should he do to you? Did he plan on bringing you with him to prevent you from telling the others? Did he execute you here and now? No. That seemed too cruel, even for him. He had seen how well you had gotten along with everyone around the barracks. Although you were suspicious at first, he had found no other malicious intent on you.

Until you spilled what you knew. He had been conversing with Yelena when no one was around. He made sure no one was around. Yelena wouldn’t have gone babbling to anyone either. As far as he knew, Yelena hadn’t even seen you face-to-face.

What did you mean by this wasn’t the only way? He had gone through endless scenarios, countless memories, just to find an ending where everyone could live happily. If he had to sacrifice lives to ensure Mikasa and Armin would survive, so be it.

He wouldn’t deny that your words had had an impact on him. Another way… It was foolish of him to think that he could be presented with another outcome but it was worth questioning you. Maybe he could find a use for you. It was then he finally made a decision. He would continue his plans no matter the cost. And he would take you with him.

Eren looked at the moon before making his way back to his room. There you were, still curled up on his bed. He looked at the wet patch you were sleeping in and decided to move you back to your own room.

When he picked you up, he froze. You were cold to the bone and felt lifeless in his hands. He gripped you closer to his chest and kicked his door open. He ran as fast as he could to Levi’s office. When he arrived, he saw that Armin, Annie, and Hange were conversing in hushed tones as Levi sipped his tea slowly.

“Something’s wrong with her!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey sorry i didn't update sooner ;u; suuuper busy  
> my birthday and finals start tomorrow so i've been a trainwreck recently (even tho i continue to post on instagram lmao what am i doing w my life)
> 
> also if you have watched the latest episodes of aot,,, know that i am in PAIN just like you
> 
> PAIN.


	11. A New Resolution

_**You must repent for your sins. If you truly want to be free of your mistakes- your actions, you must do right. How you have continued surviving up until this point is a miracle. It would be much easier if you stopped resisting death.**_

**_Cease your living. It is not difficult, if you think about it. You of all people should know. Countless lives have been ruined because of you. What a proud being you were. Once at the top of the world, reduced to a foolish little girl._ **

**_All those years being dormant have made you soft. I should be thankful, honestly. However, I cannot forgive you. Not until you do the impossible. So, what will it be, [First name]? One day, you will discover who you are. Now is not the time. Soon. All will be uncovered._ **

**_Once all the cards are shown, how will you fare? No one will be on your side, trust me. I will make sure of it._ **

**_After all, you are just a piece of scum. I relish having this power over you. How do you like it? Does it not feel degrading? Humiliating even?_ **

**_It is what you deserve, pig._ **

* * *

_‘Urgh. I can’t open my eyes.’_ You fumbled your way out of your blankets and shot up. Huh? Where were you this time? You scanned your surrounding and then it clicked. Eren must have brought you back to your room when you fell asleep. That was sweet of him.

“So, you finally decide to wake up, brat?”

Your breath hitched in your throat as Levi spoke with a growl. Yep. You messed up big time. You gave him an awkward smile and weighed your options. Was it better to ask what he meant or pretend that you didn’t hear him and go back to sleep? The latter would have earned you a kick.

“Hey, captain. How are ya?”

Levi scowled at you and opened his mouth to berate you before the door slammed open. Mikasa strode over, giving Levi a nasty side-eye. “Move, shorty. Eren asked me to monitor her condition.”

At this, the captain smirked. “So- he finally decided to talk to you, huh? How long has it been since he gave you any attention, brat?”

Mikasa changed her stance so she could aim for his face but you blurted out the first thing you could think of.

The two Ackermans looked at each other in disbelief before turning their gazes to you. “I’m sorry, what did you say, [First name]?” Mikasa asked cautiously.

“Pumpernickel?” you responded hesitantly. She coughed slightly into her hand and excused herself to go and fetch you some food. Oops. She probably thought you were hungry.

Now, you had to deal with Levi alone again.

“Before you ask if I’m evil, no. No, I am not. I am here to help you guys, whether you like it or not. I don’t know why I was brought into this mess and alternatively- your lives, but I know I have a mission to do.

Which is why I want to go to Marley with Eren to find some answers.”

“Eren? What does that brat have to do with anything? I ought to keep watch of you.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if we stayed relatively inconspicuous? It has to be Eren. I can’t tell you the exact reasons why but I promise nothing will go amiss.”

“Tell me, does this have to do with you visiting him at the dead of night and passing out on his bed?”

“I just needed to talk-”

“Talk, my ass. What are you planning? You’re clearly hiding something from us.”

You heaved a sigh. “Okay, okay. I’ll tell you what I told Armin the first time we met. I’m not from here.”

Levi snorted in disbelief. “Of course, you aren’t from here- we picked you up from Marley after you barged into our room.”

“No, I mean… I’m not from _this_ world. From Marley. Or Paradis. Whatever you call this place. I don’t belong here. I don’t expect you to believe me, either.”

“But I do. It has to be the reason why strange events keep occurring when you’re around. A beam of light erupting in our room in Marley? Sand getting everywhere when something goes wrong? You passing out all the damn time?

Enlighten me, [First name]. Magic doesn’t exist, so how do you do it?”

You scratched the back of your head, feeling the tangles in your hair. Darn, you really missed conditioner. Just then, Mikasa entered the room with some tea and a plain loaf of bread. She informed you there was no pumpernickel left in the kitchens. You thanked her graciously and sipped some tea before taking a bite out of the bread. That was a smart move on your part since the bread was a little hard.

Mikasa glanced at Levi, resisting the urge to roll her eyes at him.

“Mikasa, bring that annoying brat over here.”

“His name’s Eren.”

“Do I care? Go. That’s an order.”

She huffed and spared you a concerned look before exiting the room. When she did, Levi took it upon himself to sit on the edge of the bed and take your face in his hand. He twisted your face in all four directions, studying you closely.

“You’re not a god, are you? I don’t believe in that bullshit.”

While your cheeks were squished by him, you did your best to answer, “I don’t think I am?”

He let go of your face which was now red. You pursed your lips together and massaged your cheeks slowly, trying to get the feeling back into them. He debated whether to continue interrogating you or not.

When Eren entered the room, he assessed his surroundings. Levi was sitting on your bedside, staring intensely at your face while you were busy staring at anything but the tiny man in front of you.

He cleared his throat, resulting in the two of you whipping your heads towards him. Your eyes lit up in excitement, then lowered down in shame as the words you told him previously came flooding back in your memory.

“Oi, this girl wants to go to Marley with you. Why?”

Marley? With him? That was a pretty ballsy move coming from you. He had planned on sneaking out of Paradis with the help of Yelena, but this would have made things easier. That- and it would make everyone less suspicious of his plans.

“I wanted to gather intel about her origins. If we can find a clue about her powers then we can figure out what we can use her for.”

You could tell Levi wasn’t convinced. However, he informed the two of you that he would take this matter up with Hange. He excused himself and went to find them.

With just you and Eren, the room felt stuffy and overbearing. He rubbed his face anxiously before fixing his gaze onto you. “What exactly are you planning?”

“Truthfully? I’m trying to stop you from doing something you’ll regret. Not to mention I’m trying my best here to _survive_.”

“How did you know about all that?” he asked in a low whisper, closing the gap between the two of you slowly in order to make sure no one could hear. You took his cue and changed your tone to a whisper just like his.

“I get visions, kind of like yours. Except they don’t activate when I’m in physical contact with those of royal blood. They’re random and really painful to experience.

I’m only telling you this so I can gain your trust. I want you to believe me because I truly want the best- not for you- but for everyone. I want to save Armin and Mikasa. I want to save the whole squad. I want to save all of humanity.

What _you’re_ planning is ridiculous. Having everyone turn against you isn’t the best way to end all of this. You can’t fight fire with fire. I’ve seen what you’ve seen. I don’t want that outcome.

There’s a reason why I’m here. It’s the same reason why you didn’t see me when you saw the future, right? I know deep down you didn’t want it to all boil down like this.

Don’t start the rumbling. I beg of you. Eren, I love everyone here and I couldn’t bear the thought of anyone dying.”

After your monologue, Eren stepped back slightly. He couldn’t explain what he was feeling. In his mind, he had already planned out everything. Each scenario, each outcome was decided from the start. But in his heart, he wanted to anchor himself onto something. He had hoped for something else. It just so happened that that thing was… you.

Perhaps the key to gaining freedom wasn’t by sacrificing countless lives and his own. Perhaps it was in the hands of a girl who claimed to hail from a different world.


	12. It's All Going Smoothly

The next day, you went into Hange’s office for a meeting regarding your request to go to Marley. As you entered, you could feel the whole squad’s eyes on you. Resisting the urge to run out of that stuffy room, you took a breath to steady yourself and stepped forward. You gave Hange a salute and they did the same.

“[First name].”

“Yes, commander!” you straightened your back, listening intently to their next words.

“Captain Levi tells me that you want to go to Marley with Eren. Is that correct?”

“Yes, it is!”

“Why exactly? You are well aware that transporting the two of you there would be difficult, even with only a small load, yes? It took us a while to go there as a group, after all. Tell me the details of your plan.”

You looked to Eren for support, but the jerk just looked away and had his arms crossed. Great. He was lost in his own little world. If only you had worked harder during trainings, you would have drop-kicked him like Levi does. Actually, that wouldn’t do good. It was so very tempting, though.

“I want to go undercover and possibly infiltrate the Marleyan warriors. Perhaps I can find the answer to why I posses my abilities if I am not a titan shifter or a descendant of King Fritz. It would take a while to gain their trust, but I have a feeling I can gain an ally from them.”

“An ally in the form of a Marleyan warrior? How so?”

Well- not a warrior but a warrior candidate. Falco seemed naïve enough to be swayed by you. Thinking back on it, Eren had managed to convince the kid fairly easily, so if you were to do so… it would most likely yield the same results. A small part of you felt guilty for wanting to use a child for your plans. You sucked on your bottom lip before formulating a plan.

“I’ll infiltrate their ranks by pretending to be an injured war veteran. Maybe fake amnesia or delirium. That way, I can gain the trust of one of the warriors or their subordinates. If that doesn’t work, I’ll go and seduce their general or something. I’m pretty sure there’s a brothel I could go in and-”

“Okay, okay. Where would Eren fit in all this. Why him specifically?”

“Well, he could injure himself to make it seem more believable that he’s a wounded soldier. With his titan healing, it wouldn’t be that much of a bother. Plus- he could be my bodyguard or the like… since I’m not confident with my combat skills.”

“Huh. You’ve clearly thought this out. Good job.” Hange rubbed their chin, deep in thought. They nodded at you and smiled. “All right, I’m convinced! I’ll go on and tell Yelena to make arrangements. You leave in a week.”

Levi choked and whipped his head towards Hange. They just held a hand up, silencing his inquiries. Annie was clearly uncomfortable with what you suggested, knowing that her Marleyan comrades would be the targets in this mission of yours. She didn't particularly care for them but she wanted to see her father. She wanted to come with but it was too risky. The warriors would ask too many questions of how she escaped and how she even crossed the sea.

After Hange dismissed you all, Jean put you in a headlock and ruffled your hair. “Seduce their leader? You don’t seem like you could pull it off!” Sasha nudged your arm, “Hey, [First name], I know someone who could tell you about Marleyan customs so you can blend in better.”

Ah, yes. Niccolo. You _had_ to try out his food once before you departed. You graciously accepted her offer and made your way to Connie. Why, exactly were you going to Connie? To have a little heart-to-heart talk. He never gets enough credit, honestly. On top of that, he seemed to fare well even though he basically lost his family all at once. You had a week before departing, and since you weren’t sure how long you’d be back, you wanted to spend some time forming deeper bonds with the scouts.

Your first victim was Connie, naturally. You slid out of Jean’s grip and walked briskly over to Connie, interloping your arm with his and pulling him along. He was so…dangly. To be fair, most of the scouts were tall but his proportions seemed noodle-like. In the best way, of course.

Connie was visibly confused but allowed you to guide him outside and towards a patch of grass. You sat down and patted the spot next to you, ensuring that he got the softer part to sit on. He did so and asked why you dragged him with you. The two of you were somewhat close but this situation felt a little intimate.

“I heard you always go to Ragako on your days off to visit your mother. How’s she faring?”

He was taken aback by the sudden question, unsure of whether or not to answer. It was a well-known fact that his mother had stayed in Ragako as she didn’t pose any threat- immobility and all. You didn’t want to tell him exactly how you knew of this tidbit of information, so you opted to go straight to the point.

“Connie, I’m giving you the opportunity to properly mourn your family. Right now. It isn’t healthy keeping those emotions bottled in. I know the others didn’t mean to cast aside your feelings but I’m here to tell you that I’m willing to be a source of comfort. Or a punching bag.

My limit is one punch, though.”

He was on the verge of crying but smiled at you anyway. He thanked you and grabbed you tightly, hugging you towards his chest. It was a bit suffocating but you endured. You _did_ tell him to not bottle his emotions. Connie’s sobs sounded childlike; he hiccupped and sniffled frequently. Occasionally, he would babble on about some memories, but you couldn’t decipher what he said. You wrapped your arms around him and rubbed small circles on his back whenever his cries intensified.

Sitting in a weird position and being held onto his chest for a long time started to give you cramps, but you didn’t make an effort to move. The poor boy deserved some form of support. You wanted to smack Isayama for not giving Connie time to grieve.

Eventually, he relaxed and ceased crying. By this point, his eyes were puffy and swollen. He resembled an egg. You stifled a giggle. Slowly, you eased out of his embrace and stretched your sore muscles. A smile flitted on your lips. 

“Well then, that felt good, didn’t it?” You gave him a cheesy thumbs up- a weird way of showing your encouragement.

“Yeah… It helped a lot. Thanks for this. I mean it.”

“No problem, boyo! I’m always willing to lend an ear or give hugs out.”

The two of you chatted for about an hour or two before going your separate ways. Your next agenda was to check up on Annie. Although, if you thought about it hard enough, Armin would have been there to comfort her anyway. Whatever. Those lovebirds could have all the time they wanted once you were in Marley.

You asked around, trying to find out where Annie was at the moment. However, no one could pinpoint her exact location. Oh well. Tomorrow it is.

If Annie wasn’t available, who was your next target? You placed your pointer finger and thumb on your chin, rubbing it like an old wise man. Unexpectedly, someone tapped your shoulder. This caused you to jump up in surprise and whirl around to face your “attacker”. Oh. It was only Mikasa.

You greeted the black-haired girl and asked what was up. She gently pulled you aside, not wanting others to hear of her question.

“Do you remember what you said to me in Marley?” she had a bashful expression on her face but didn’t look away.

Ah. So that’s what it was. You were willing to lend a hand- or ear.

“Mm… Why? What’s wrong?”

“I know you told me to tell him how I feel, but I can never find the right moment. He’s… Always busy,” she frowned slightly before sighing. “I hate admitting that the shorty is right… but Eren only approaches me to check up on you.”

You froze. Oh no. Becoming a cockblock was not part of your plan. In fact, you had wanted them to get together so as to avoid the whole rumbling situation. It was certainly starting to get late. You offered her a sheepish smile, muttering a half-assed apology.

“When you say it like that it makes it seem like he’s my personal guard or something.” you joked.

Mikasa wasn’t amused, but she decided not to press further. You cleared your throat.

“Hey, you really care for him, don’t you?”

She was taken aback by your bluntness, but slowly she nodded her head. A faint blush littered her cheeks as she struggled to find the right words to say.

You cackled, “Mikasa, you’re adorable!”

This caused her face to deepen in color and she turned to walk away from you.

“Wait, wait! I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to tease you. I just find it cute is all. It reminds me of me with my first crush.”

She hesitated before deciding to stay with you. The two of you made your way to the girl’s quarters. You opened the door to your room and let her in. She sat on the bench while you took a seat on your bed.

The room was a little spacious, but it didn’t feel barren or empty even with just a few items of furniture. It didn’t make you feel lonely either- mostly due to the fact there was almost always someone barging in and keeping an eye on you.

The two of you talked about your first loves. She had told you about how she met Eren and was adopted by the Yeagers. She lived with them and at first, she admired Eren and sought to protect him. Eventually, those feelings grew bigger but she couldn’t exactly formulate it into words. You could tell she was still in denial and wanted to continue thinking of him as family.

You recounted the story of you with your kindergarten crush. Every recess, you tried catching his interest by swinging the highest or jumping the most times on the jump rope. However, he only ever looked at his best friend. When his best friend moved away, you decided to comfort him and to get closer to him but he never liked you back. That was how your first love ended.

Mikasa laughed at your misfortune and you playfully protested her. She greeted you goodbye and excused herself. It was time to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> here ya'll go! wanted to insert a connie moment bc he deserves the world 
> 
> the reader's true identity will be exposed soon :U
> 
> not sure if i'll reveal in the next chapter or a few chapters after that... most likely the next one though :D
> 
> be prepared hehe


	13. The Ugly Truth

_The sound of commotion stirred him from his sleep. What was that noise? He awakened, only to find that his body had felt much heavier than before. His bed felt stiffer than usual, cushioned only by an assortment of straw-filled pillows causing his muscles to ache. A painful throb in his head made him break out in a cold sweat. It hurt. Headaches like these turned his mood sour, and with the constant warring around him, he felt even more aggravated than usual._

_These damned Marleyans had it coming. If he found that they were the cause for the ruckus so early in the morning…_

_He arose and stretched out his body. A washbasin was prepared near him. He briskly washed up and made himself presentable. A horned helmet sat to the side, glistening in the sunlight that streamed into his quarters. He went on his way and picked it up, settling it atop his head._

_The years had been harsh on his body. Even so, no one dared to make a comment. If they so much thought of going against him, he would have their head._

_The Eldian tribe was a formidable one. As its head, he oversaw everything that occurred within. It would have been easier had he appointed some officials to help but he relished in the power that he held over his people. The control he had over them made him intoxicated. It was simply addicting._

_If only he had stronger soldiers. He would have obliterated his enemies and taken over their lands. Eldia may have been quite sizable, but it wasn’t enough to satisfy him. He wanted more. He needed more._

_The throne sat at the center of a raised pedestal. It was reserved for him. He relished in the thought and took his place. Just as he had settled himself, one of his men informed him that several pigs had escaped from their pen._

_He commanded that all slaves be gathered for questioning. When all the slaves were around, he questioned them and asked who released the pigs. All of them pointed towards one slave._

_It was a young girl. Apparently, she had been the one to release the pigs from their pen. He rolled his eyes and ordered his men to let her run free if she deserved it. With his cruel nature, he instructed his soldiers to hunt her down into the forest. He did, however, give her a head start._

* * *

_The slave ran as fast as she could, trying to outrun her pursuers. Was it really worth her life releasing animals she had felt had no freedom? She had no freedom of her own; was it wise to think she could have been able to offer it to other beings?_

_She was weakening, it was obvious. The arrow lodged in her body hurt every time she moved, but she couldn’t stop. If she did, she would definitely be executed. She had committed a grave sin._

_Her small body was covered in bruises and she was bleeding in several areas. It was no use, she had to survive. She ran as fast as her legs allowed her to, finding a tall tree with a hole. If that was her only option, so be it._

_She crawled inside, only to be dunked in water. She couldn’t breathe. Sinking. Deeper and deeper. The water around her was murky and felt heavy. Pressure was exerted all around her body, making it feel as if she was being crush alive._

_When she finally thought death had come to her, a tingling feeling had occurred on her back. Something lodged itself onto her spine, making her frantically lash out to no avail. The thing that latched onto her pushed deeper and deeper within, getting absorbed into her body._

_It was still. The slave awoke and swam to the surface. She climbed out of the tree and coughed out the water. She had to hurry before they found her._

_Alas, it was too late. A group of men raised their weapons at her, an eager display of power while she stood there defenseless. Tears fell out her eyes as she surrendered, letting their arrows pierce her as she sunk into the ground._

_Laughter turned to screams of bewilderment as she slowly rose again, completely healed from her wounds. The men raised their weapons once again, but this time she attacked._

* * *

_A concubine. She had become a concubine to the man that had exiled her and had wanted her dead. She could not fight against him for he was her master._

_They had built an empire together- rather she fought his enemies and made them surrender their lands, their fortunes, their people. Her king had become powerful- so powerful that he made many enemies._

_Her children were her only joy, but even she was kept at a distance from them. She had felt so numb for over a decade. She wanted so desperately for freedom, but knew that she was too much of a coward to seek it._

_Only death could release her from this torment. And so it did._

* * *

The world was full of mysterious phenomena. For example, you had just experienced one of the weirdest visions in your sleep. It was definitely from King Fritz’ and Ymir’s point of views… but why did you see both?

That dream only made you more confused as to what you were. The evil voice had told you the truth would be revealed soon. How soon exactly? This much thinking caused your head to ache and you fumbled out of bed.

You had expected hardwood to hit the pads of your feet, but instead was met with tile. Tile? Were you at home? Rubbing your eyes so you could examine your surroundings more clearly, you confirmed it. You were back home.

Although you were thankful that you came back, it also worried you. What if too much time passed in the other world? Would that mean the trip to Marley would be canceled? And what of Eren? Would he do something reckless while you were unconscious?

You prayed it wasn’t the case. You could absolutely, under no circumstances, allow the rumbling to happen. Small-scale or big-scale. Rumbling bad.

As you trudged to the bathroom, you saw your reflection in the mirror. Even though time didn’t move much in your original world, your body looked as if it was deteriorating slowly. Your once ample cheeks had sunken and the dark circles under your eyes deepened.

If it wasn’t such a terrifying situation to be in, you would have laughed at yourself. To be fair, this whole mess you were trapped in would have been hilarious had it just been a dream. You could have told it to your friends and they’d throw jokes your way. Too bad it was all too real. Plus, if you’d ever confided in them, they’d probably think it was due to your concussion.

Oh. That’s right. You were somewhat concussed. Honestly? A concussion was at the least of your worries. You sauntered over to the kitchen only to find that there was a sour smell emitting from your fridge. Quickly opening it, you saw that a bunch of your leftovers had rotten over. Why? They were barely a week old!

That’s when it hit you. You never actually checked what day it was. You scrambled to grab your phone and check a calendar. A month had passed. It took a few minutes for your phone to suddenly vibrate as a flood of notifications came streaming in. Your parents and friends had frantically sent you messages but of course, you never replied.

The ache in your head worsened as you thought harder. This was so frustrating. All you wanted to do was graduate and start working. Why, why did this have to happen to you? You were sure there was another fan who was more fit for this task. What was so special about you, anyway?

You took a shower, ignoring the slight tingle in your spine. You weren’t Ymir. Eren had already confirmed that by confessing he’d held your hand in your sleep. If so, why did your back tingle at times? What if… you were the worm-like creature that clung to Ymir’s back? The thought sent a shiver down your spine. You did not want your existence to be reduced to being a centipede-worm so you decided to stop thinking about it.

You knew that it was bad to starve so you settled for eating some stale crackers and random granola bars you had in the pantry. It was better than nothing. In ensuring you survived in the AOT world, you had forgotten about your body in this world.

You always thought that your body was the same in both worlds, however, this proved your theory wrong. If one day you couldn’t come back here…

You shook those thoughts from your head and opened your laptop. A shriek escaped your mouth as you saw a figure in the black screen. You whipped around, looking for an assailant or a burglar. The room was still. Maybe you were being paranoid.

Suddenly, your heart pounded faster and faster. If what you were thinking was correct… No, how could it be? Well- it wasn’t totally in the realm of being impossible but you had to confirm if that feeling you had was true or not. Evil voice be damned. It wasn’t up to the voice to control you and decide when to reveal things. It was your fate, and you were going to take the reins.

You forced yourself to sleep. It wasn’t hard, actually, with your body being so weak. Deeper and deeper you fell into the abyss of your thoughts. Before you fully sunk into unconsciousness, a hand reached out.

* * *

_A few more pushes and a new baby would be revealed to the world. Ymir had been waiting for this moment. In mere seconds, she would be reborn. Her days spent at the Coordinate were tiresome. Creating titans and hauling around sand for her creations was a routine she was sick of._

_Her desire for freedom was still so great. It was a miracle that Ymir could have this opportunity. She could finally grasp it. It was so close. Pieces of her being had already been engulfed by the light. This is it. Freedom._

_Suddenly, she was pushed aside. A foreboding figure glared at her from above. No. No, it couldn’t be. The figure stepped into the light. The light burst into fragments, scattering about the place._

_She couldn’t believe it. Ymir had waited lifetimes for this moment. Her only opportunity of freedom was taken from her. In truth, she didn’t have freedom to begin with._

_It seems as though that in this lifetime and the next, King Fritz would always steal it from her._

* * *

You launched out of bed and ran outside, hot tears spilling down your face. Maybe you should have let the evil voice do its thing. The truth wasn’t one you wanted to accept. You should have ignored that niggling feeling.

You ran and ran, not minding that anyone who saw you could see your nightgown flowing haphazardly around your body. Sobs escaped you even as you covered your face. You needed to run, needed to go far away.

A broad figure halted you and took you in their arms. It was a comforting embrace, but you couldn’t calm down. The person held you tight, patting your head and rubbing your back gently. You stayed in their arms for quite some time. However, they did not protest. They stayed.

When you finally gained the courage to look up, you spotted emerald orbs staring back at you.

“What’s wrong?” he asked. Eren. It was Eren.

No. How could you tell him that you were the reincarnation of King Fritz?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh....snap....
> 
> well! the truth has been revealed :P gotta wonder what reader's next steps are....
> 
> btw i love reading all your comments! i stopped replying to some of them as they are redundant and i don't want to reply the same thing over and over again bc it wouldnt be sincere. still, i read each and every one of them :DD it lets me know if you readers enjoy my work and what things i can improve on regarding my writing
> 
> if ur wondering why i revealed her origins on chap 13,, well 13 is an unlucky number and the reader is q u i t e unlucky
> 
> !!! almost forgot D: i've written a draft for the next chap but my 2nd semester's gonna start on monday so idk if i'll be able to update as much as i'd like. to be honest, my studies are my priority but writing keeps me alive (was that cheesy? that was cheesy- but i mean it in a literal sense)


	14. Settling In to Settle Out

You froze, unsure whether or not to tell him about your discovery. No, you shouldn’t tell anyone. The voice said that no one would be on your side. You couldn’t risk it. You’d already made it this far.

“I had a nightmare. Sorry about that.” you replied, sniffling in between words.

Eren took off his jacket and placed it on top of your shoulders. He gently pulled you along, ignoring everyone’s stares. The two of you made it to the dining hall. A few scouts had been eating breakfast, although a few eyes landed on you as you weren’t dressed appropriately.

You sat down and waited patiently, occasionally rubbing your eyes as more tears threatened to fall. Eren returned with a bowl of soup and some water. You thanked him and started to eat.

He was looking off to the side, with his face cradled on the palm of his hand. Sometimes, his eyes would dart towards you but you paid him no mind. You distracted yourself with eating. Tears occasionally threatened to spill from your eyes, but you focused on bringing the spoon to your lips and sipping the soup. Easy now, don’t burst into tears. You’re not _that_ weak.

Well… you weren’t weak at all. You knew that at least. It still bothered you- being so helpless.

Now you truly knew how Eren felt, carrying a burden no one could know about. Ugh, this sucked. It would have been better had you been Ymir. Why did you have to be the evil old geezer? He was the reason all subjects of Ymir were hated.

“I’m done eating. Aren’t you busy? Why’d you sit with me?” you asked, fidgeting in your seat. No matter how much you loved Eren as a character, being with him face-to-face was terrifying. Especially since he always had an empty gaze.

“My jacket.”

“Oh, right.” As you shrugged his jacket off your shoulders, he coughed and told you stop. You raised a brow, confused. Well, which is it? Did he want his jacket or not? He quickly glanced at you before you got the memo. Right. You were only wearing a nightgown. It covered you head to toe but you figured it was scandalous in this world.

“Ah, okay; I got it.” You excused yourself and sprinted towards your room, changing into the clothes that were provided to you by the Survey Corps (aka Sasha’s old clothes). They were stored in the dresser so you haphazardly pulled them out. You could always fix them later. Afterward, you grabbed Eren’s jacket and busted out of your room. Originally, you had planned on running back to the dining hall but Eren was there, standing next to your door.

You handed him his jacket and thanked him. He nodded, examined you for a moment, then went on his way. Thank goodness he didn’t inquire more about your “nightmare” or else you would have passed out from fear. Honestly, you had no idea how to move forward from this mess. In all the stories you’ve heard, King Fritz was horrible in every way. Usually, there’d be two sides of the story especially regarding history, however, this was not the case. King Fritz was cruel; power-hungry and evil, exploiting others for his own gain.

Well- to put it on a lighter note, at least you didn’t look like him. That was definitely an upgrade. No! Stop trying to distract yourself, [First name]! This is a serious matter! You pressed two fingers on each of your temples. Think…Think! The reason you weren’t so cruel is that Ymir had somewhat assimilated into your body. Okay, that made sense. You weren’t as cruel as King Fritz but you did have the occasional bout of some uneasy feelings within.

If some parts of Ymir were within you, did that mean that you also had her powers? Probably; the full extent of your powers was yet to be determined. This would explain how you could do things no one could. Who was the evil voice that kept threatening you, then? It would have been fitting had it been King Fritz. But that was impossible since you are King Fritz.

Was it Ymir, then? No, that was impossible. Unless… her humanity had been transferred to you and all that was left of her was an empty shell. You weren’t sure of your theory, but so far it was the only one making sense in your brain. Oh well. If you survived long enough, you would come to a conclusion sooner or later. You hoped it would be sooner rather than later though. You _had_ wasted enough time. Too much brainstorming and planning without proper action was dangerous, especially in your situation.

Anyway, you still had a few days left. You didn’t want to spend the rest of your time in Paradis moping around, always dreading your fate. Good thing you remembered Sasha’s offer for learning Marleyan customs. Plus, you wanted to see how much of a hunk Niccolo was.

* * *

Sasha merrily guided you to Niccolo. While she was stringing you along, she spouted all sorts of praises for his cooking. You happily engaged in a discussion with her about food as it provided a good enough distraction from your thoughts. When you finally met the blond, you were taken aback by his initial aggressiveness, but once he decided you were a close friend of Sasha, he softened up.

Well, well, well. His feelings were definitely obvious. The three of you were in a kitchen, and Sasha picked out a bunch of snacks to eat while you and Niccolo conversed about several topics. He would sometimes sneak a peek towards her and illicit a small smile, but you kept your mouth shut instead of teasing him. The two of you weren’t close- plus, you didn’t want to intrude on their relationship.

Niccolo went on and on about Marleyan customs and traditions and you listened intently. Never mind the fact that they found you in Marley, they probably thought you were an alien or something (if aliens even existed in their world).

Before long, the sun had started to set. Sasha filled her stomach continuously and had to keep readjusting her skirt. You laughed at the sight and bid the two of them farewell as you walked out of there, giving the two some privacy.

* * *

Jean cornered you, towering over your frame with a wicked frown. You slunk back, unsure of your next steps.

“C’mon, [First name]! Out with it! Eren made you cry, yeah? Everyone saw. Tell me the truth and I’ll beat it out of him. That punk’s head keeps getting bigger each day.” He growled at the last part, emphasizing his disdain.

You shook your head fervently, denying his claims. “No, that’s not what happened.”

“Really?” he asked, still suspicious. “Some new recruits told me that he forced you to sit at a table and hovered over you while you ate. Your eyes were puffy and you were shaking. To top it off, you were in your sleep wear!”

You blinked. Once. Twice. Then cackled. He looked at you incredulously. After taking a breath, you explained the situation to him.

He calmed down but you could tell he was still wary. You reassured him that wasn’t the case- in fact it was the opposite. Jean studied your demeanor and decided you weren’t lying.

“By the way… Connie told me what you did. I… I thought I could help him by cracking jokes and constantly cheering him up but I know now that he just needed time to be sad.” He scratched the back of his mullet sheepishly.

You agreed. Yeah. Sometimes we just need to let it all out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm not gonna lie i'm scared of aot ending 
> 
> i hadn't even started puberty when it first aired and now i'm the same age as the characters
> 
> :/ 
> 
> all good things must come to an end... i just need to learn to accept it lmao


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